


It’s Dangerous to Go Alone

by LivetoDream333 (orphan_account)



Series: Q10 [7]
Category: James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: AI!Q, AU, Eye, Fluff, I should never tag, M/M, Protective Double os, Protective Everyone, Protective James Bond, Protective Q, Rain, Tattoo, game references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 20:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4114657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/LivetoDream333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Really the worst kept secret ever, but Tanner has his back...as well as Alec...and the double-os...<br/>Q decides to add something to James...for his protection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It’s Dangerous to Go Alone

**Author's Note:**

> Slow moving in this one...but it's fun. Next time you'll see the tattoo, I swear.

It’s Dangerous to Go Alone

 

Tanner’s jaw dropped when his eyes were met by James and Q lying in the grass. Q was smiling in awe, even as the rain dripped from the sky. “Is this what wind feels like?”

“Yes, Q.” James answered with a smile as Q rolled onto his belly and played with the grass.

“It feels so…amazing. And those petals on those flowers were so soft… I wish I could smell them. I’ve never seen birds fly before, not like this. I wonder what it feels like to fly…”

“Maybe you could build yourself wings.”

“I would not be able to feel it though…not like them. Perhaps…maybe I could hook you up to a machine, you know there are things that can monitor what you think and see and feel and translate it into the language I feel in. I could do that…but then you’d be a lab rat and…”

“I’d be a lab rat for you.” James assured him.

“You are…kind.”

“You sound stunned.”

“Every day I am stunned. People have not shown me so much kindness, but you, who has every right to be grumpy and miserable, show me kindness every day… I find it…very human.”

“Well, I’m human, I’m allowed to be complex.”

“And I’m not?” Q asked, catching the teasing tone and coming back in a similarly playful manner.

“You are far more complicated than I am. I just shoot things.” Q didn’t seem to notice the tone, nor did he notice that James’ fingers were just grazing his.

“You are making fun of me.”

“Nope, not a bit.”

“The rain feels different from the showers at Six…but I wish it wasn’t cloudy. I’ve never seen the stars in person.”

“I’ll make sure you see them.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“James?” Tanner asked. Q instantly squirmed and hid himself as much as he could behind James.

“Q…he’s not going to hurt you. I won’t let him.”

“It’s…it’s instinct. You’ve never been in that room, James…please don’t let me go back.” James grabbed Q’s hand.

“Never, I’ve got you. Hello, Tanner.”

“Oh my…”

“I know I’m not supposed to be out, but…James asked if I wanted to and…I did. So…I…”

Tanner didn’t speak, he stared at Q for a moment. He had never seen Q like that. He was rambling and looking…looking…human. His expressions looked different than the ones Tanner was used to seeing and there was an obvious difference between his faked emotions and the real, warm, sad, scared feelings he’d been portraying.

“James…is he broken?”

“He might be…”

“I’m guessing a reboot isn’t going to fix him, is it.”

“A kick in the ass might.” James shrugged.

“I see what you did there.” Q chuckled.

“Thought that was funny?”

“Stupid as hell, but I still laughed.”

“So I’m funny.”

“No, not really.”

“Fine… Tanner? Bill?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you looking at him like that?”

“He just seems so… Real.”

“I am real.” Q said slowly, standing up, suddenly aware that James’ hand was still in his. He pulled his hand free and looked at Tanner. “Just because you have blood and guts and I have numbers and metal and some brain tissue doesn’t make me any less real… We’re just…different. I am a person, just like you are, only I am an AI and you are a human. Same, but different. Please don’t have me killed.” James stood up, in front of Q. “I know this is against protocol, but…I wanted to be able to touch the real world…there aren’t windows in Q-branch so I never…I never even get to see. I would never go out alone, James is here with me…please don’t send me to that room.”

“What room?”

“The hearing room… I don’t like it there and I don’t want to be dismantled. I’m just now…living.”

“It’s meant to help you, to fix you. I don’t understand…”

“That’s what you were told?” James demanded.

“Yes.”

“That’s not true. He steps out of line and if anyone decided he has a mind of his own he’s killed.”

“Isn’t he supposed to have at least a little mind of his own, to make decisions?”

“Even that is frowned on. I am only allowed to make decisions if I feel that the given orders are not the best manner to go about things…and I have to have the evidence to back myself up… I…I’m not allowed to be this.”

“And this…is you. Really you.”

“Yes… The emotions leak in, the more I adjust to people, the more I tweak in my programing so that I can be more efficient…the more…personable I become. It isn’t a flaw, it is a necessity. You’ve seen my work. I have only gotten better.”

“Why haven’t you snuck off sooner?”

“R doesn’t like me…and she’s on holiday right now, so…I felt safer…”

“How can she not like you, you act within you’re programing in front of her… Sorry about—”

“I understand that I am a program, sir—Tanner—it is not offensive to say it. I don’t think she trusts AI…as a general rule, which is strange for someone who works with them all the time, even if they aren’t as advanced as I am. I am special, or that’s what James says.”

“Of course that’s what James says.”

“What do you mean by that?” Q inquired and James glared at Tanner.

“Nothing…just…nothing… I didn’t know.”

“No one does… Can I…can I go for a walk tonight? I’d like to see things, new things.”

“Go ahead.” Tanner nodded. “God this is weird…”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t, just…don’t give anyone reason to…you know.”

“I won’t.”

“Have a good night.”

“Thank you, Tanner.” Q called and waved. “I’ll have some files for you to look over. They’ll be on your laptop, for your eyes only.”

“How will you know it’s me?”

“Tanner, I’m brilliant. Trust me, I will know.”

“Alright…” Tanner sighed meandering away.

“I want to run through the rain. Why do I want to do that?”

“I don’t know. Race you to the bridge?”

“Yes.” Q smiled and ran, James following him.

800Q8

James took Q to his flat and Q looked around. “What are you looking at?” James wondered.

“I didn’t have a chance to look last time.” Q stated, looking around the living room and sitting on the couch—without noticing that he was soaked and going to soak the couch. He’d never had to worry about it before. James didn’t say anything. “So, this is what a home should be?” It was a bit Spartan, but there were movies and a TV windows and art and food and space and music and life.

“A bit…we don’t really have a homey sort of space, but…you should have something more like this. Freedom. Windows… Music and movies and books.”

“I’ve never heard this one.” Q jumped over the coffee table and sat in front of the music collection. There were CDs and records and tapes. “Or this one, or this one… You know they say music sounds better on a record…”

“I think it does. What do you want to listen to?” James asked, walking up behind him.

“Um…you pick.”

“Aw! You brought the boyfriend home. Shit, in the downpour, did he get electrocuted?” Alec asked.

“What?” Q looked at James.

“Um…he kind of knows.”

“This is the worst kept secret ever! If Alec knows _everyone_ knows.”

“Hey! Not fair… Only all of the double-os know.”

“WHAT?! You realize I’m going to die!”

“You’re not going to die, each and every one of them have your back. You should have told us, Q. We can protect you.”

“Well…they really don’t care?”

“No, they love you, Q. Not as much as James, but—” James chucked a book at his head and Alec neatly dodged it.

“So I’m not going to die?”

“If we have anything to say about it? No.”

“Thank you…”

“You’d do it for us… I’ll leave you two crazy kids alone.” Alec winked and disappeared.

“What is he talking about? He seems, weird, even for Alec.”

“It’s…nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Okay.” Q shrugged, accepting without question.

Q rested in James’ bed that night, James slept facing Q, one hand reaching out but never quite touching.

800Q8

Four days later James was in a chair getting a tattoo. Q was putting a colorless eye on his palm. It hurt, but James had had worse. “Why am I getting this?”

“It’s dangerous to go alone.”

“God, I knew I shouldn’t have let you play video games.” James shook his head. “Are you going to explain?”

“Nope.” Q sighed before grabbing something else. “Don’t move.” James would have sworn that a snake slithered under his skin and curled up, but when he looked down there was no real wound or bump, just an eye and a speck of blood. Q wrapped him up and sent him away.

800Q8

“Have a safe trip to Turkey.” Q said before he waved James off a month later. “Check your mobile for updates.”

“Alright, see you, Q.”

On the flight James opened his phone and saw a single file that had been sent to him. Project _All Seeing Eye._ James read through it and smiled looking down at his tattoo.

It was dangerous to go in the field alone…so Q made a place that he could jump into to help James and communicate with him if James ever dropped comms. James smiled at it happily, the smile not leaving his face until even after he’d landed.

**Author's Note:**

> Much Love.


End file.
